Arthropods Daily – Issue No. 76

Megachile rotundata is a European leaf-cutting bee belonging to the subfamily Megachilinae, the second-largest family among all bee families. It is found on all continents except Antarctica and was introduced to North America, New Zealand, and Australia to assist in pollinating crops. The bee exhibits sexual dimorphism, with females being larger and having white hairs all over their bodies, while males have white and yellow spots on their abdomens. The bee has a unique life cycle, with two developmental pathways resulting in different sex ratios and sizes of offspring. It is a significant pollinator of legume forage crops.